Confession Evidence - Practice and Procedure in the Commonwealth

This book provides a step by step approach to understanding the practice and procedure in relation to confession evidence in the Commonwealth Caribbean. The issues are discussed with reference to both reported and unreported cases from the region, the Privy Council, the courts in the UK, the Stratsbourg Court and even beyond. Whilst there is no doubt that the common law must evolve with reference to the social, economic and ploitical environment of the region, an argument is made throughout the text that these cases and the legislation in the UK, provide a good reference point for assessing, comparing and shaping present standards of fairnesss in the region. As the earliest cases have shown, the role of the court must be to ensure that the right to be protected against self incrimination is given real respect. In this regard too attention has been given to the function of the court's exclusionary discretion in ensuring fairness.